Our history & heritage

Heritage isn't just about history. It's about people and their stories. The stories that shape who we are, tell where we've been and show where we're going. At Bank of America, our history covers more than two centuries and includes people who helped to shape life as we know it in this country. The stories of our history and heritage connect us to some of the greatest achievements and advancements of all time, and we're proud to share them.

Over the course of more than two centuries, the people and stories that make up our heritage have helped to shape life as we know it in this country and around the world.

The rich, diverse collection of stories you'll find in our heritage are all joined by a common theme: Our success is intrinsically connected to the success of our customers and communities.

Today, over 200 years later, we are one company united in a single purpose: To make financial lives better through the power of every connection. We invite you to experience the stories of our heritage through the images and videos on this site.

“ Bank of America has been helping connect people to what is most important to them for more than 200 years. What endures is our commitment to our customers, clients and communities, rooted in the knowledge that our success is intrinsically connected to theirs. ”

Our roots

Our roots, from 1784 to 1850, are set in stories of our earliest heritage members and their roles in the evolution of a young United States. Learn about the making of the national anthem, the survival of our capital through the War of 1812, the discovery of comets, building a foundation for economic growth and more.

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There's only one bank in Bank of America’s heritage that can lay claim to the discovery of a comet, the squelching of a huge fire, the hosting of a great American author and the rise of a fortune on Nantucket Island.

Nantucket Pacific Bank was instrumental in growing a thriving economy on the island and played a role in several events that made Nantucket famous.

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The rise of industry

Between 1850 and 1900, the American Industrial Revolution sparked enormous social, political and economic advancement throughout the country. Our heritage includes stories of people who played a significant part in these events, from the making of great cities to revitalization after the Civil War to the vision of enterprising young bankers and beyond.

VIDEO: The building and rebuilding of Chicago

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Narrator: The Merchant Savings Loan and Trust company, Bank of America’s oldest heritage bank in Chicago, was instrumental in the development of Chicago during its population boom. Later, in the years following the great fire, the bank played a significant role in rebuilding thousands of buildings including those in Chicago’s central business district.

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VIDEO: The making of Los Angeles into a metropolis

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A man who can calm widespread financial panic by stacking gold on the counter of a bank in public view, demonstrating confidence and financial stability is one we're proud to have as part of our heritage.

Bank of America's oldest heritage bank in Los Angeles, a farmer's and merchant's bank was instrumental in the development of the city into a thriving urban metropolis.

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The modern era

From 1900 to 1950, our country entered the modern era, a time when our heritage stories tell of rapid progress with political and economic advancements. From Hollywood filmmakers to bridge engineers to the London stage, our legacy of people in support of innovation is rich.

VIDEO: Building the most photographed bridge in the world

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Narrator: When the Golden Gate Bridge opened in 1937, the San Francisco Chronicle called it the "thirty-five million dollar steel harp."

This famous and stunning achievement of civil engineering was funded by Bank of America. The 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge spans the Golden Gate Strait to connect San Francisco and Marin County.

As of today, more than 2 billion vehicles have traveled across the bridge since it opened. Frommers travel guide considers the Golden Gate Bridge "possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world."

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This famous and stunning achievement of civil engineering was funded by Bank of America. The 4,200-foot-long suspension bridge spans the Golden Gate Strait to connect San Francisco and Marin County.

As of today, more than 2 billion vehicles have traveled across the bridge since it opened. Frommers travel guide considers the Golden Gate Bridge "possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world."

Technology & innovations

In the half-century from 1950 to 2000, our heritage stories tell of people whose revelatory achievements led to technological advancement and international expansion. Learn about the advent of automated banking, the world's first electronic recording machine–accounting (ERMA) system, the development of magnetic-ink character recognition (MICR) and more.

Before computers, banks had to manually process paper checks. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, it took a huge Bank of America workforce and countless hours to process millions of checks per month and more than a billion per year.

To solve this bottleneck, Bank of America created the first computer to be used in banking, the electronic recording machine for accounting.

This, together with the development of magnetic-ink character recognition, revolutionized the industry across the globe.

Before credit cards as we know them today, there were convenience cards. Merchants would allow customers to use a card to purchase goods, but the balance of the card would have to be paid off at the end of the month.

The concept of a revolving balance paid in monthly installments and charging interest hadn't happened yet. Bank of America started the first national credit card program, originally called BankAmericard.

After rapid and widespread adoption and growth, BankAmericard expanded around the globe and was eventually renamed Visa.

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Today

As of April 16, 2018, we operate in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and more than 35 countries. Our retail banking footprint covers approximately 80 percent of the U.S. population, and we serve approximately 47 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 4,500 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATMs, and leading online and mobile banking platforms with approximately 36 million active accounts and more than 25 million mobile active users.

We offer industry-leading support to approximately three million small business owners. Our wealth management businesses, with client balances of approximately $2.5 trillion, provide tailored solutions to meet client needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking, trust and retirement products. We are a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world.

Advertising practices

We strive to provide you with information about products and services you might find interesting and useful. Relationship-based ads and online behavioral advertising help us do that.

Here's how it works: We gather information about your online activities, such as the searches you conduct on our Sites and the pages you visit. This information may be used to deliver advertising on our Sites and offline (for example, by phone, email and direct mail) that's customized to meet specific interests you may have.

If you prefer that we not use this information, you can opt out of online behavioral advertising. If you opt out, though, you may still receive generic advertising.Also, if you opt out of online behavioral advertising, you may still see ads when you sign in to your account, for example through Online Banking or MyMerrill. These ads are based on your specific account relationships with us.

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